Skip to main content

Polar and Apolar Columnar Phases Made of Bent-Core Mesogens

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Liquid Crystals

Part of the book series: Topics in Current Chemistry ((TOPCURRCHEM,volume 318))

Abstract

Structural studies of two-dimensionally ordered phases made of bent-core mesogens are presented, with the emphasis on the X-ray studies of the columnar phases built of smectic layer fragments. We present the evidence for two types of packing of layer fragments: the B1-type structures where the layers are broken into blocks arranged into the orthogonal body centered lattice and the B1rev-type structures made of slightly deformed layers, where the primitive crystallographic unit cell is in general oblique. In some cases two-dimensional structures made of bilayers are observed. Bilayers are characteristic for the general tilt phases, which possess a longitudinal polarization component, in the direction perpendicular to the smectic layer fragment. We also outline the theoretical model predicting and describing the observed structures and present a model which enables the calculation of the electron density maps from the X-ray diffraction data.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Niori T, Sekine T, Watanabe J, Takezoe H (1996) Distinct ferroelectric smectic liquid crystals consisting of banana shaped achiral molecules. J Mater Chem 6:1231–1233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Takezoe H, Górecka E, Čepič M (2010) Antiferroelectric liquid crystals: interplay of simplicity and complexity. Rev Mod Phys 82:897–937

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sigaud G, Hardouin F, Achard MF, Levelut AM (1981) A new type of smectic A phase with long range modulation in the layers. J Phys (Paris) 42:107–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Fazio D, Mongin C, Donnio B, Galerne Y, Guillon D, Bruce DW (2001) Bending and shaping: cubics, calamitics and columnars. J Mater Chem 11:2852–2863

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Prost J, Barois P (1983) Polymorphism in polar mesogens. J Chim Phys 80:65–81

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Redy RA, Tschierske C (2006) Bent-core liquid crystals: polar order, superstructural chirality and spontaneous desymmetrisation in soft matter systems. J Mater Chem 16:907–961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Als-Nielsen J, McMorrow D (2001) Elements of modern X-ray physics. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  8. Szydlowska J, Mieczkowski J, Matraszek J, Bruce DW, Górecka E, Pociecha D, Guillon D (2003) Bent-core liquid crystals forming two- and three-dimensional modulated structures. Phys Rev E 67:031702-1–031702-5

    Google Scholar 

  9. Watanabe J, Niori T, Sekine T, Takezoe H (1998) Frustrated structure induced on ferroelectric smectic phases in banana-shaped molecular system. Jpn J Appl Lett 37:L139–L142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Shreenivasa Murthy HN, Bodyagin M, Diele S, Baumeister U, Pełzł G, Weissflog W (2006) Reentrant SmCPA phases: unusual polymorphism variant SmA–SmCSPA–Colob–SmCSPA observed in new bent-core mesogens. J Mater Chem 16:1634–1643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Coleman DA, Jones CD, Nakata M, Clark NA, Walba DM, Weissflog W, Fodor-Csorba K, Watanabe J, Novotna V, Hamplova V (2008) Polarization splay as the origin of modulation in the B1 and B7 smectic phases of bent-core molecules. Phys Rev E 77:021703

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mieczkowski J, Pociecha D, Gorecka E, to be published

    Google Scholar 

  13. Shimbo Y, Gorecka E, Pociecha D, Araoka F, Goto M, Takanishi Y, Ishikawa K, Mieczkowski J, Gomola K, Takezoe H (2006) Electric-field-induced polar biaxial order in a nontilted smectic phase of an asymmetric bent-core liquid crystal. Phys Rev Lett 97:113901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wang L-Y, Chiang I-H, Yang P-J, Li W-S, Chao I-T, Lin H-C (2009) Configuration effects of H-bonded sites and rigid core lengths on H-bonded banana-shaped liquid crystalline supramolecules consisting of symmetric trimers and asymmetric heterodimers. J Phys Chem B 113:14648–14660

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ortega J, de la Fuente MR, Etxebarria J, Folcia CL, Diez S, Gallastegui JA, Gimeno N, Ros MB, Perez-Jubindo MA (2004) Electric-field-induced B1-B2 transition in bent-core mesogens. Phys Rev E 69:011703

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Górecka E, Vaupotič N, Pociecha D, Čepič M, Mieczkowski J (2005) Switching mechanisms in polar columnar mesophases made of bent-core molecules. Chemphyschem 6:1087–1093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Zhang Y, Baumeister U, Tschierske C, O’Callaghan MJ, Walker C (2010) Achiral bent-core molecules with a series of linear or branched carbosilane termini: dark conglomerate phases, supramolecular chirality and macroscopic polar order. Chem Mater 22:2869–2884

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Nakata M, Link DR, Takanishi Y, Takahasi Y, Thisayukta J, Niwano H, Coleman DA, Watanabe J, Iida A, Clark NA, Takezoe H (2005) Electric-field-induced transition between the polarization-modulated and ferroelectric smectic-C S P F * liquid crystalline states studied using microbeam X-ray diffraction. Phys Rev E 71:011705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gimeno N, Barbera J, Serrano JL, Ros MB, de la Fuente MR, Aloso I, Folcia CL (2009) Terminal chains as a tool to modulate the properties of bent-core liquid crystals. Chem Mater 21:4620–4630

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Pociecha D, Górecka E, Čepič M, Vaupotič N, Gomola K, Mieczkowski J (2005) Paraelectric-antiferroelectric phase transition in achiral liquid crystals. Phys Rev E 72:060701R

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zhang Y, O’Callaghan MJ, Baumeister U, Tschierske C (2008) Bent-core mesogens with branched carbosilane termini: flipping suprastructural chirality without reversing polarity. Angew Chem Int Ed 47:6892–6896

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Pociecha D, Vaupotič N, Górecka E, Mieczkowski J, Gomola K (2008) 2-D density-modulated structures in asymmetric bent-core liquid crystals. J Mater Chem 18:881–885

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bedel JP, Rouillon JC, Marcerou JP, Nguyen HT, Achard MF (2004) Evidence for different polymorphisms with and without an external electric field in a series of bent-shaped molecules. Phys Rev E 69:061702

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Górecka E, Pociecha D, Vaupotič N, Čepič M, Gomola K, Mieczkowski J (2008) Modulated general tilt structures in bent-core liquid crystals. J Mater Chem 18:3044–3049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Vaupotič N, Pociecha D, Čepič M, Gomola K, Mieczkowski J, Górecka E (2009) Evidence for general tilt columnar liquid crystalline phase. Soft Matter 5:2281–2285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Takezoe H, Kishikawa K, Gorecka E (2006) Switchable columnar phases. J Mater Chem 16:2412–2416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Takezoe H, Takanishi Y (2006) Bent-core liquid crystals: their mysterious and attractive world. Jpn J Appl Phys 45:597–625

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gorecka E, Pociecha D, Mieczkowski J, Matraszek J, Guillon D, Donnio B (2004) Axially polar columnar phase made of polycatenar bent-shaped molecules. J Am Chem Soc 126:15946–15947

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Gorecka E, Pociecha D, Matraszek J, Mieczkowski J, Shimbo Y, Takanishi Y, Takezoe H (2006) Polar order in columnar phase made of polycatenar bent-core molecules. Phys Rev E 73:031704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Coleman DA et al (2003) Polarization-modulated smectic liquid crystal phases. Science 301:1204–1211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Bailey C, Jakli A (2007) Role of molecular shape on bent-core liquid crystal structures. Phys Rev Lett 99:207801

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Vaupotič N, Čopič M (2005) Polarization modulation instability in liquid crystals with spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking. Phys Rev E 72:031701-1–031701-4

    Google Scholar 

  33. Vaupotič N, Čopič M, Górecka E, Pociecha D (2007) Modulated structures in bent-core liquid crystals: two faces of one phase. Phys Rev Lett 98:247802-1–247802-4

    Google Scholar 

  34. de Gennes PG (1972) An analogy between superconductors and smectics-A. Solid State Commun 10:753–756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Lubensky TC, Renn SR (1990) Twist-grain-boundary phases near the nematic smectic-A smectic-C point in liquid crystals. Phys Rev A 41:4392–4401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Link DR, Natale G, Shao R, Maclennan JE, Clark NA, Körblova E, Walba DM (1997) Spontaneous formation of macroscopic chiral domains in a fluid smectic phase of achiral molecules. Science 278:1924–1927

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Nakata M, Shao RF, Maclennan JE, Weissflog W, Clark NA (2006) Electric-field-induced chirality flipping in smectic liquid crystals: the role of anisotropic viscosity. Phys Rev Lett 96:067802-1–067802-4

    Google Scholar 

  38. Górecka E, Vaupotič N, Pociecha D (2007) Electron density modulations in columnar banana phases. Chem Mater 19:3027–3031

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work presented was supported by the Slovenian Research Agency through the research program P1-0055 and by the Polish-Slovenian bilateral projects BI-PL/08-09-015 and BI-PL/10-11-010.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Gorecka .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Vaupotič, N., Pociecha, D., Gorecka, E. (2011). Polar and Apolar Columnar Phases Made of Bent-Core Mesogens. In: Tschierske, C. (eds) Liquid Crystals. Topics in Current Chemistry, vol 318. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/128_2011_231

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics